{"id":36816,"date":"2026-05-11T14:02:00","date_gmt":"2026-05-11T14:02:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/?p=36816"},"modified":"2026-05-13T18:37:14","modified_gmt":"2026-05-13T18:37:14","slug":"laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer\/","title":{"rendered":"Laser Imaging Tech Could Make Robot Surgery Safer"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<div class=\"wp-block-group\"><div class=\"wp-block-group__inner-container is-layout-constrained wp-block-group-is-layout-constrained\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-blockquote uagb-block-e7eb3fc3 uagb-blockquote__skin-border uagb-blockquote__stack-img-none\"><blockquote class=\"uagb-blockquote\"><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__content\">A Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher has developed a way to use laser-induced sound waves to reveal hidden blood vessels and nerves during robot-assisted surgery \u2014 and overlay that data as augmented reality onto live surgical video.<\/div><footer><div class=\"uagb-blockquote__author-wrap uagb-blockquote__author-at-left\"><\/div><\/footer><\/blockquote><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-group is-content-justification-space-between is-nowrap is-layout-flex wp-container-core-group-is-layout-b0ffac9c wp-block-group-is-layout-flex\"><div style=\"font-size:16px\" class=\"has-text-align-left wp-block-post-author\"><div class=\"wp-block-post-author__content\"><p class=\"wp-block-post-author__name\">The University Network<\/p><\/div><\/div>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share uagb-social-share__outer-wrap uagb-social-share__layout-horizontal uagb-block-ee584a31\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-ec619ce7\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"facebook\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M504 256C504 119 393 8 256 8S8 119 8 256c0 123.8 90.69 226.4 209.3 245V327.7h-63V256h63v-54.64c0-62.15 37-96.48 93.67-96.48 27.14 0 55.52 4.84 55.52 4.84v61h-31.28c-30.8 0-40.41 19.12-40.41 38.73V256h68.78l-11 71.69h-57.78V501C413.3 482.4 504 379.8 504 256z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-32d99934\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/share?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"twitter\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 512 512\"><path d=\"M389.2 48h70.6L305.6 224.2 487 464H345L233.7 318.6 106.5 464H35.8L200.7 275.5 26.8 48H172.4L272.9 180.9 389.2 48zM364.4 421.8h39.1L151.1 88h-42L364.4 421.8z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-uagb-social-share-child uagb-ss-repeater uagb-ss__wrapper uagb-block-1d136f14\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__link\" data-href=\"https:\/\/www.linkedin.com\/shareArticle?url=\" tabindex=\"0\" role=\"button\" aria-label=\"linkedin\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-wrap\"><span class=\"uagb-ss__source-icon\"><svg xmlns=\"https:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" viewBox=\"0 0 448 512\"><path d=\"M416 32H31.9C14.3 32 0 46.5 0 64.3v383.4C0 465.5 14.3 480 31.9 480H416c17.6 0 32-14.5 32-32.3V64.3c0-17.8-14.4-32.3-32-32.3zM135.4 416H69V202.2h66.5V416zm-33.2-243c-21.3 0-38.5-17.3-38.5-38.5S80.9 96 102.2 96c21.2 0 38.5 17.3 38.5 38.5 0 21.3-17.2 38.5-38.5 38.5zm282.1 243h-66.4V312c0-24.8-.5-56.7-34.5-56.7-34.6 0-39.9 27-39.9 54.9V416h-66.4V202.2h63.7v29.2h.9c8.9-16.8 30.6-34.5 62.9-34.5 67.2 0 79.7 44.3 79.7 101.9V416z\"><\/path><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Even in the hands of a skilled surgeon, minimally invasive operations carry a hidden danger: the anatomical structures lurking just beneath the surface of tissue, invisible to the naked eye. A researcher at Worcester Polytechnic Institute is working to change that, using a cutting-edge imaging technique to give surgeons a real-time, augmented-reality view of what lies below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Kai Zhang, an associate professor at WPI, presented his work at the <a href=\"https:\/\/acousticalsociety.org\/philadelphia\/\">190th Meeting of the Acoustical Society of America<\/a> in Philadelphia on May 11. His research focuses on integrating photoacoustic (PA) imaging into robot-assisted laparoscopic surgeries \u2014 a class of minimally invasive procedures used for abdominal and pelvic operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">The Problem With Minimally Invasive Surgery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Laparoscopic surgeries are performed through small incisions, with surgeons guided by a tiny internal camera called a laparoscope. The approach offers real benefits for patients: less pain, faster recovery and smaller scars. But the compact visual field also limits what a surgeon can detect. Blood vessels, nerve bundles, and other critical structures that lie just beneath the tissue surface remain largely invisible \u2014 and striking one accidentally can have serious consequences.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;Accidentally severing a hidden blood vessel during robot-assisted laparoscopy occurred in 1%-2% of cases depending on the procedure,&#8221; Zhang said in a news release. &#8220;Furthermore, such incidents can result in a range of complications, including hemorrhage, paralysis, and, in the worst cases, fatal outcomes.&#8221;<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Those numbers may sound small, but across the millions of laparoscopic procedures performed every year in the United States alone, even a 1% complication rate translates to thousands of potentially preventable injuries.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">How Photoacoustic Imaging Works<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Photoacoustic imaging works by firing pulses of laser light deep into biological tissue. When tissue absorbs the light, it heats up slightly and expands, generating ultrasonic sound waves \u2014 a phenomenon known as the photoacoustic effect. Those waves travel back through the tissue and are captured by ultrasensitive microphones. Because different tissue types absorb light differently, the resulting sound wave patterns can be decoded to map out what&#8217;s beneath the surface with remarkable precision.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The technique can detect structures like blood vessels and nerve clusters that standard laparoscopic cameras simply cannot see. Zhang&#8217;s system processes that data to build three-dimensional representations of neurovascular bundles \u2014 dense groupings of nerves and blood vessels that surgeons are most concerned about damaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;This capability enables visualization of embedded anatomical structures and their depth locations, which is highly valuable for surgical planning and intraoperative monitoring,&#8221; Zhang added.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Critically, Zhang&#8217;s team didn&#8217;t just develop the imaging system in isolation. They integrated it into the actual surgical workflow: the 3D maps of subsurface structures are overlaid directly onto the live video feed from the laparoscopic camera, creating an augmented reality display that surgeons can consult in real time without interrupting an operation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Tested in Prostate Cancer Surgery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">Zhang validated the approach during radical prostatectomies, the surgical procedure used to remove prostate cancer. The prostate gland sits in close proximity to blood vessels and nerve bundles that control bladder function and sexual function \u2014 making it one of the higher-stakes environments in which to test a system designed to avoid subsurface damage. The ability to see those structures before accidentally disturbing them is exactly the kind of advance that could reduce post-surgical complications for patients.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">But the implications extend well beyond prostate surgery. Laparoscopic procedures are used in gallbladder removal, colon surgery, gynecological operations, and a range of other common interventions. Any surgery that involves working around hidden anatomical structures could potentially benefit from real-time subsurface imaging.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote is-layout-flow wp-block-quote-is-layout-flow\">\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">&#8220;We anticipate that this imaging instrumentation will be readily translatable to not only other laparoscopic procedures but also other image-guided procedures,&#8221; added Zhang.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Why It Matters for the Future of Surgery<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">The convergence of robotics and artificial intelligence in the operating room is already transforming surgical medicine. Systems like the da Vinci Surgical System have given surgeons finer motor control than the human hand alone can achieve. What has lagged behind is the sensory side of the equation \u2014 the ability to perceive tissue composition and hidden structures in real time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">PA imaging addresses that gap directly. Unlike traditional ultrasound or MRI, photoacoustic probes can be designed to fit within the small incisions of laparoscopic surgery and operate without disrupting the procedure. The ability to add a layer of subsurface structural data to a live augmented reality display represents a meaningful step toward surgeries where accidental damage to hidden anatomy becomes far less likely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\">For medical and biomedical engineering students, the work also highlights an increasingly important frontier: the integration of imaging physics, signal processing and surgical robotics into unified systems. Interdisciplinary expertise in optics, acoustics and clinical workflows is exactly the kind of background that will drive the next generation of surgical tools.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<div style=\"height:7px\" aria-hidden=\"true\" class=\"wp-block-spacer\"><\/div>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"wp-block-paragraph\"><strong>Source: <\/strong><a href=\"https:\/\/acoustics.org\/safer-surgeries-through-laser-induced-acoustic-imaging-asa190\/\" title=\"\">Acoustical Society of America<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>A Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher has developed a way to use laser-induced sound waves to reveal hidden blood vessels and nerves during robot-assisted surgery \u2014 and overlay that data as augmented reality onto live surgical video.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":36815,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"single-no-separators","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_uag_custom_page_level_css":"","_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"footnotes":""},"categories":[12],"tags":[717,1711,1710,1708,1709,1712,1713],"class_list":["post-36816","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-health","tag-acoustical-society-of-america","tag-medical-imaging","tag-minimally-invasive-surgery","tag-photoacoustic-imaging","tag-robot-assisted-surgery","tag-surgical-technology","tag-wpi"],"acf":[],"aioseo_notices":[],"uagb_featured_image_src":{"full":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer.png",1792,1024,false],"thumbnail":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer-150x150.png",150,150,true],"medium":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer-300x171.png",300,171,true],"medium_large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer-768x439.png",768,439,true],"large":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer-1024x585.png",1024,585,true],"1536x1536":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer-1536x878.png",1536,878,true],"2048x2048":["https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/05\/laser-imaging-tech-could-make-robot-surgery-safer.png",1792,1024,false]},"uagb_author_info":{"display_name":"The University Network","author_link":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/author\/funky_junkie\/"},"uagb_comment_info":0,"uagb_excerpt":"A Worcester Polytechnic Institute researcher has developed a way to use laser-induced sound waves to reveal hidden blood vessels and nerves during robot-assisted surgery \u2014 and overlay that data as augmented reality onto live surgical video.","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36816","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=36816"}],"version-history":[{"count":9,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36816\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":36907,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/36816\/revisions\/36907"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/36815"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=36816"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=36816"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.tun.com\/home\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=36816"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}